Julie Clark
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Apple Butter Cake
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Fall is definitely in the air, especially in this Apple Butter Cake! Moist and delicious all topped with an apple cider glaze making it the perfect sheet cake for fall!
September 1 hits this week. Where did August go? I feel like we’re going to be singing Christmas carols before you know it. I’ve been baking up an apple storm here which is helping to usher in the cooler weather this week.
This easy apple butter cake recipe uses our slow cooker apple butter. I love that it is a sheet cake and feeds a crowd. You won’t be able to resist the apple butter glaze!
About this apple butter cake recipe:
- Quick and Easy. It takes about 10 minutes to mix up and 20 minutes to bake.
- You only need one bowl for this apple butter sheet cake. No need to mix the dry ingredients separately. Yay! Use a hand mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as you mix.
- Uses apple butter for a warm apple flavor. Make your own or get your favorite brand at a grocery store. Musselman’s or Miss Miller’s apple butter work great.
- The cake was tested in a 12×17” jelly roll pan.. If your pan is slightly smaller, the cake may take a minute or two more to cook.
- An easy apple cider glaze. Because apple upon apple is an excellent idea, right? It’s a simple powdered sugar frosting, but you’ll use apple cider (apple cider juice…not apple cider vinegar!) to thin it rather than milk.
What is the difference between applesauce and apple butter in baking?
Applesauce and apple butter are both made by simmering down apples and spices until the mixture is smooth, but apple butter is cooked much longer than applesauce. This means the apple butter is thicker and sweeter, almost caramelized. It will have less water content that applesauce.
For this recipe, you’ll use apple butter, not applesauce. If you use applesauce, it may not set up correctly.
How to Make Apple Butter Cake
- Prepare. Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Line a 12×17″ jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, milk, apple butter and sugars until combined.Add in the eggs and vanilla. Blend until smooth.
- Mix in the dry ingredients. Whisk in the flour, baking soda and apple pie spice until blended.
- Bake the cake. Pour and spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back when you touch it. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
- Make the apple cider glaze. In a bowl, whisk together the frosting ingredients until you reach the desired consistency of a glaze.
- Glaze the cake. Pour and spread the glaze over the cooled cake and sprinkle with pecans if desired. Let sit for about 15 minutes to let frosting set.
Storage Instructions
Store this apple butter spice cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can freeze any leftovers for up to two months. Double wrap in plastic wrap or another container and place in the freezer.
Apple Butter Cake
Fall is definitely in the air, especially in this Apple Butter Cake! Moist and delicious all topped with an apple cider glaze making it the perfect easy cake for fall!
Servings 16
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup salted butter melted, 8 ounces
- 1 cup 2% milk 8 ounces
- 1/2 cup apple butter 144 grams
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- 1 cup brown sugar 210 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 grams
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 260 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 5 grams
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice 2 grams
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted, 4 ounces
- 1/4 cup apple cider 2 ounces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 grams
- 4 cups powdered sugar 520 grams
- chopped pecans for topping
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Line a 12×17" jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
- In bowl whisk together the butter, milk, apple butter and sugars until combined.Add in the eggs and vanilla. Blend until smooth. 1 cup salted butter, 1 cup 2% milk, ½ cup apple butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whisk in the flour, baking soda and apple pie spice until blended. 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- Pour and spread the batter into pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back when you touch it. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Make the glaze:
- In a bowl, whisk together the frosting ingredients until you reach the desired consistency of a glaze
- Pour and spread the glaze over the cooled cake and sprinkle with pecans if desired. Let sit for about 15 minutes to let frosting set.
Video
Notes
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- I almost always use salted butter in my baking and I’ve never had a problem with the baked good being too salty. If you’d like, you can use unsalted butter. Add about ½ teaspoon of salt if you use unsalted butter.
- If you don’t have apple cider you could also use apple juice, although you may not need quite as much since it is thinner.
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- Don’t have apple pie spice? Here’s a substitute. You can just use cinnamon, or use ¾ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 78mg | Sugar: 59g | Vitamin A: 590IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
Super moist and delicious. Will keep this recipe and will be making this again.
We made this cake today. It is so moist and delicious! We made half a recipe as there is just two of us. Also added 1/4 teaspoon of Apple pie spice to the frosting. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Could I make this recipe as-is for a cake roll or would I need less batter for that?
Oh my gosh this is soo good